MedWire News: People who suffer from acid reflux and other gastro-intestinal symptoms are more likely to experience frequent headaches than those without such symptoms, study results suggest.

The findings may help improve the overall quality of life of people who suffer from gastro-intestinal problems, say lead researcher Dr Anne Hege Aamodt, from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, and colleagues.

Gastro-intestinal symptoms and headaches are common among the general population, explain the researchers. But they add that "the scientific literature about the comorbidity [co-occurrence] of headache and gastro-intestinal complaints is scant".

To address this, the team surveyed more than 43,000 people from the general population of Norway about gastro-intestinal symptoms and the occurence of headaches.

After accounting for factors such as age, gender, medication use, depression and anxiety, the researchers found that patients who regulalarly suffered from acid reflux or diarrhoea were 2.4 times more likely to experience regular headaches than those without such symptoms.

The team also found that people who suffered from constipation were 2.1 times more likely to experience regular headaches than those without this symptom.

Dr Aamodt and colleagues summarise: "We found higher prevalence of headache in individuals with much reflux symptoms, diarrhoea, constipation or nausea than in those without such complaints."

They add: "The observed association between gastro-intestinal complaints and chronic headache may have clinical implications - it is important to consider the total burden of discomfort in these patients in order to provide for the best treatment."

The research is published in the journal Cephalalgia.